Chapter 834 — Seizing the Might of the Four Emperors
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 2 of 5
Shen Mu made a circuit of inspection and let out a breath of relief. Wei Suifeng had trained these warriors well, passing on to them the Four Phases Tribulation Array from the Dayu Youmo Scripture.
He came to the center of the array and planted the pillar bearing Ling Tianzun's verse at its heart. In a low voice, he said, "The Four Emperors should be arriving.
If they do not board the ship during this cycle of reincarnation, then all my preparations will be for nothing. I only hope they come. . .
" Suddenly, the ghost ship trembled gently and came to a stop.
"This ship vanished for twenty thousand years, and has finally appeared again.
" A heavy voice came from outside—a voice Shen Mu had heard before. It was the voice of Xuanwu, the Northern Emperor.
At the Jade Pool Assembly, when Niu Sanduo wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Court, he had tried to seize the Heavenly River for battle, only for the Northern Emperor Xuanwu to suppress it. It must be the Northern Emperor Xuanwu who had stopped the ghost ship.
He claimed to be an ancient god born in the Heavenly River, and stopping a ghost ship that sailed upon it was no difficulty for him.
As master of the Heavenly River, spotting the ghost ship was equally easy. The voice of Qinglong, the Eastern Emperor, followed: "Brother Xuanwu, the case of the Empress's assassination is riddled with doubts, and the Yulin Army vanished on its return voyage.
Piecing these two matters together, there must be something deeply amiss within—it cannot go unexamined.
. . Western Emperor, Southern Emperor, you've finally arrived. " Four immeasurably powerful and sacred auras arrived.
Shen Mu relaxed. "Just as I predicted, all four Emperors are here! This is the only chance to escape—I cannot fail!
" "The Empress was attacked, the Yulin Army suppressed the rebellion, and then the Yulin Army vanished on the Heavenly River—this caused a sensation twenty thousand years ago. " Shen Mu heard a familiar voice and could not help but smile.
It was the voice of Zhu Quer—Zhu Quer, the Southern Emperor, Vermilion Bird.
Her voice continued: "Rumors flew in those days.
I heard that before the return voyage, General Wei Suifeng sent someone ahead to the Heavenly Court to report what had happened at Guixu. I looked into it—General Wei sent someone to inform the Celestial Emperor that the Empress had died at Guixu, and that he was bringing her body back to the Heavenly Court by ship. Yet the Empress's body should have been aboard the Yulin Army's ship, vanishing along with them. The Yulin Army vanished, but the Empress appeared in the Heavenly Court. That has always puzzled me. " Another woman's voice came—surely Baihu, the Western Emperor. "Sister Zhuque, it was the Great Sun Star Lord who told you this, wasn't it?
I once asked him as well. He told me the same thing—that little bird knows a great many secrets. What's suspicious isn't only the Empress rising from the dead, but also that the warrior General Wei sent to report to the Celestial Emperor vanished without a trace, completely evaporated, never to be found again! Utterly bizarre! " "What's even stranger is that all these odd occurrences took place on the Heavenly River, and yet Brother Xuanwu claims to know nothing! " The Southern Emperor Zhuque said coolly, "Can anything on the Heavenly River be hidden from you? Yet you plead ignorance, Brother Xuanwu—you are highly suspect.
" The Northern Emperor Xuanwu gave a cold snort. The Eastern Emperor Qinglong cleared his throat.
"Brother Xuanwu is not that sort of man. It was Brother Xuanwu who informed us of this ship's reappearance and asked us to come as witnesses.
If he were responsible, why would he invite us?
Since we're here, let us board and investigate! " Suddenly, the ghost ship sank slightly—the Four Emperors must have broken through the black miasma surrounding it and boarded. "This ship is strange! " The Western Emperor's startled voice came.